From School Library Journal
Gr 6-9-Hipperson has done an excellent job of telling the story of Dale Aldrich, writing in a first-person narrative based on hours of interviews with him. Written as a person would speak, not always in complete sentences or in the most grammatical manner, the narrative unfolds matter-of-factly with no pretense of grandeur or heroism. Aldrich describes his life after being drafted and sent to mechanics school, where he volunteered to attend gunnery school. He and his crew were stationed in England in December, 1943, when their B-17 was shot down over Holland. Betrayed and captured, the airman eventually spent the rest of the war in Stalag 17. In the final chapters, he tells of liberation, repatriation, and homecoming. An epilogue describes his family. The text takes up little more than half the width of each page. The rest is devoted to side notes that explain terms, names, places, and events that might be unfamiliar and are keyed by number to the narrative. Short paragraphs printed in blue at the bottom of the pages link events in Aldrich's story with those happening elsewhere at the time and refer readers to a month-by-month chronology of the war printed on the endpapers. Black-and-white photos show Aldrich and his crew, a bombing mission, Stalag 17, medals, V-E Day, and more. The simple, deep-blue design of the chapter headings adds to the elegance of this title. It deserves to be read.
Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
